Does religion benefit corporate social responsibility (CSR)? Evidence from China

Abstract Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been attracting ever considerable attention from practice and academia, but the determinants of CSR remain unclear, especially in transitional economies. Using firm‐level data of listed firms in China and constructing the variable of religion through the geographic proximity method, this study investigates the relationship between religion and CSR and further explores the differences between low‐ and high‐polluting industries. Our empirical results demonstrate that religious atmosphere (Buddhism and Taoism as a whole) in a region can induce managers to be less selfish and to care more about other stakeholders, which is potentially beneficial to a firm's CSR. This effect is stronger in high‐polluting industries and less pronounced in low‐polluting industries. Also, my findings demonstrate that the above conclusions apply only for Buddhism, indicating that different religions have an asymmetric effect on CSR. This work enriches and expands the research on CSR and religion, which has important implications on the value of religion in business practice.